Obama’s Flight Risk

4/24/2013 1:00PM

How President Obama is making the FAA more dysfunctional (than usual), Senator Max Baucus's retirement and what it means for tax reform UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta on why the UFC is not coming to New York and Richard Falk's defense of Jihadists.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... welcome to Opinion Journal why Mary Kissel ... the Aviation administration's furlough air traffic controllers is on its fourth day ... making flying in this country even more miserable than usual ... what are we learning about the FAA and the Obama administration in the process ... editorial board member Joe rego joins me now Joe ... what are we learning about how the FAA functions friend ... the FAA is the only agency in the government can ... implement the sequester and Winstanley which you ... with the sequester does is it takes four percent of the FA budget that basically ... returns them to what they spend in the dark ages of two thousand and ... now they're taking this four percent cut furloughing ... ten percent ... of the air traffic control workforce and that translates into a forty over forty percent of flights are delayed focus of four percent cut ... ten percent for a while forty percent delays and am laughing at this very serious for the U S economy people have to get him to meetings in Johnson and ... the FAA is is one of the the surf Classic government Turkey's him that the bureaucracy that they can't do anything right then and the the the book that the point is ... that as badly as they are doing this they are doing it on purpose if you go to the FAA website and created the ... five school to let you know about which airports and delays were the furloughs are having the biggest effect ... mean this is a propaganda campaign ... done by political appointees ... to turn off the sequester and a half of bigger government and it shows that these indices ... can't prioritize between ... the basic services and pointless why does he have any other U S president in our modern history ... that has willfully ... hurt the economy ... to make a political point ... to send any come to mind ... so I mean look if you cut to the White House what they say is well the sequester is is a you know it's it's it's not that it's been brutal across the board cuts in and what we're seeing with the sequester ... is that ... these cuts ... are brutal and that all the stuff is deliberate ... to tell how Republicans reacted to this any starting to Cayman consider tax hikes which is the ultimate ... goal of the sequester scare you know and I think they've they've actually been pretty shrewd you know the the the ... the on air traffic control system is is one of the ... main points people have in contact with the government ... anybody has ever flown knows the airport or not ... of the model of efficiency that that the present in claims and ... making them worse making air travel even more barbaric ... than it already is strikes me is that all on purpose ... strikes me as he decreed that ... political strategy and I think Republicans ... have been coming out and saying will hang on a second you know what maybe maybe we can ... say ... we won't cut the airports in ... New York Atlanta Chicago and Los Angeles and said shut down ... the smoke literal or furlough air traffic controllers at the smaller airports now that the ones that ... don't have any commercial traffic like the Napa Valley and ... ninety s the Napa Valley or profit not as important as New York ... Joe what your sources telling you about the White House's ... strategy you get a sense that they're going to double down on this or that ... they will eventually came ... again from willfully hurting the economy and Commerce Justice lower this for Idol I think what's gonna happen is that Congress is one that's that then ... you know you've seen Harry Reid moving until the that that would restore funding to the FAA ... it uses all kinds of bunching Timmons I don't think that's gonna pass but for NSN's Jay Rockefeller of the ... Senate Commerce Committee chair of the Senate Commerce Committee that ... oversees the FAA is he's protesting Democrat ... is a Democrat ... and saying whoa Liu no wait let's let's look at the FAA budget maybe there's some efficiencies that can be found that don't ... impact travel it's ... really been one idea maybe there's some efficiencies that can be found that with the impact travelers ... you gotta hope editorial board member Joe rego defenseman thanks for being on show ... news of Montana Senator Max Baucus his retirement next year ... and set off a flurry of speculation ... about whether or not Republicans can pick up the seek and what it means for tax reform ... editorial board member Steve Moore joins me now from Washington Steve ... first things first what does this mean for tax reform ... Sen Baucus has really ... been a proponent ... of that bipartisan effort ... doesn't die with his retirement ... I don't think so Mary although that this is the question that every ... tax lawyer and every lobbyist in Washington as scurrying about trying to find the answer to because obviously the tax code has such a huge impact on our economy you're right that Max Baucus has that actually pretty open minded ... to tax reform much more so than most Democrats in the Senate ... he'd been working with AP Apple is the House Republican ways and means committee ... of you know chairman to come up with some kind of bought a deal that could be cut ... that would lower tax rates and the broader tech space something that is a visit to my ears ... on the fact that he's retiring some people believe ... that this might be actually speed up the process and that ... that that Max Baucus may wanna leave a legacy of tax reform and try to get something done ... before he leaves at the end of two thousand fourteen well let's hope so Steve ... what's with this in on the Montana race ... I've got the numbers to put up on the screen here Mitt Romney ... one that state by a mile fifty five percent to forty two percent by present Obama ... the Democrats even have a shot at the Cedars this really an intra Republican party fight ... you know Bob Tiana is not is rather stay yes ... it is indicative of those numbers you just gave with respect to the presidential race in a month as had Democratic dot Settoon Democratic senators ... a job after being the other one that is that Democratic governors ... aam and that the ... reason that it said that's a fifty fifty ... I shot for Republicans to pick up the CDs because they have a very popular ... acts cover made by Brian Schweitzer who was actually a fairly fiscally conservative governor ... high and he is going to make a big brother has a backdoor some thought he might even have primary ... on Max Baucus if the Baucus had not retired ... by now the Republicans actually have a ... habit of fairly popular former governor of themselves ... I mean our route style rock crowd so it was a liberal Republican I'm not so sure he's even more conservative than that Schweitzer is that would be of doubt dig out all of those two governors former governors to each other out what's take a look at the broader Senate picture for twenty fourteen there a lot of Democrats to our ... Retire out ... aam among men died chain Rockefeller ... Tom Harkin ... Max Baucus Tim Johnson Carl Levin Frank Wattenberg ... aam are in the so-called ... shore pickups for the Republicans are they really didn't have the fighting in the season ... they're not sure the customary but no south the code is pretty close to a layout ... aam but you know that these are ... these are very dapper that take up opportunities said it really depends to meet ... up there at two things one is you know how favorably the American people are viewing Brock Obama in November of two thousand ... fourteen but the other issue is whether Republicans can recruit ... good candidates as we talked about on on her show in the past ... Republicans haven't been too good at that last couple election cycles ... that have cost them ... some dearly needed seats to pick up the majority well Steve Yeh that's kind of an understatement they had said as I did some leeway in the freezer I data ally in the trees on it but I don't think that were really making an effort to try to get the other candidates who could win the seats in of eighty five seats to pick up the majority there are eight or nine Democrats in in out what I call red states that were picked up though that were won by ... the Romney those are all definite possibilities of those are not all retirements but you know this is a ... busy year Republicans really think they can win back some of the island ... yes I mean we've got a lift in the swing state Democrats ... up for re-election ... on Mark Begich ... in Alaska get out Mark Pryor Mary Landrieu K K Denmark you'd all got ... on a particularly North Carolina Steve Kay Hagan in that seat ... got on the email it again speaking of ... you for candidates ... are their strong people to put up ... in any of these races North Carolina in particular ... mother of her life is that's an interesting state that state has become much rather over last six or eight years ... even as the country's become maybe a little the floor ... and so that is a big big pickup opportunity for the Republicans no question about the parade they just elected a Republican governor for the first time in something like twenty years so yeah that is that isn't a big target for Republicans but at top of the air right now Mary about who that Republican nominee would be okay well Senator Max Baucus is retiring but tax form a live on ... editorial board member Steve Moore ... thanks so much then he lights up so they get a good thing for me in on the show ... next up the ultimate fighting Championship takes on Albany ... stated ... welcome back to Opinion Journal I'm Mary Kissel ... the alternate fighting Championship is legal in forty eight states ... but not in the great state of New York thanks to lend and ... Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver ... Lorenzo for Tita chairman and CEO of ultimate fighting Championship ... is here to explain ... what's going on ... so ... what is going on what's the home ... well you know we've been ... talking to members of the nursing legislature now for about five years ... we had some success we passed the Senate for years in a row ... actually this year by a very wide margin of forty seven to fourteen with Democratic support with Democratic bike uses a bipartisan support and without without question ... aam when it comes to the assembly we passed out in the upper represent ... Committee a number of times ... however ... we've not been able to get a vote on the assembly for now walking down the holes in it feels like and we're very public and we have a broad support ... certainly enough votes to move the bill but not support from a key union which one ... well the issues of the colon or Union local two to six from Las Vegas is our main opposition on this bill I know that sounds ... insane ... it's insane ... but the reason for that is the casino business in me and my brother owned station casinos ... is one of the only non organize casinos in Las Vegas by choice of our key number certainly not us ... aam but in their effort to try to organize our team members ... they have gone on a Friday following us wherever we go in New York right now was cut in their battle ground elapsed and ... trying to prevent us ... from getting the sport of mixed martial arts legalized in the stake sale to hit the streets of bipartisan support ... the bills passed the Senate in the Assembly several times ... Mr. silver one allow a vote because of a single union what's the economic impact on the state of New York because he's denying this ... well ... we know ... because we've done studies for the events we've done in cities all over the world we estimate conservatively that it's in excess of one of nine dollars a year ... aam where not the only company were the largest company but if this bill passed it would creep events all over the state of Orissa maybe fifty plus advance for your receipt all over the state why would it people in upstate New York wanna go see one of these offenses are really true that ... as a buffalo wings ... is straining to see ultimate fighting championship with a puff was a great market we've done our research there the reality is that ... Toronto which is the driving distance away is more of the largest markets for our product ... in the war ... aam and we think it were that age or see Peter and half and use our Canadian champion for Montreal and have been headline in Buffalo ... you wouldn't be Obel them it would be sold out hotel rooms ... the rest once would be full ... all from comedians ... for the most part driving and ... to watch their hero who was named the number one sportsman of Year in Canada well goodness this upstate New York the Phillies the business now ... Cuomo has expressed support but has actually done anything ... I'd to ensure that this gets the vote or is it all off ... well ... so far aam I'm not sure that anything is really been done he has been supportive saying that he believes this can create jobs ... he does like the economic benefits that we do bring ... out we have not been put in the budget ... on for Chile aam and our hope is that if we do get a ball vote in the Assembly ... and that of passes that the government would sign the bill which would become so want to talk to the governor's office but no real health care ... yet with that of about thirty seconds left you get the amateur ... mixed martial arts my team ... is allowed in New York said honey you square that circle I'm not sure that's from Academy square ... aam but that is correct amateurs legal so the state of New York is not allowing professional related and eSmart mixed martial arts where ... the fighters go through pre fight medical testing ... to go through post by medical testing and actually get paid what they allow is for kind of a free for all where promoters have the up to take advantage of fighters ... the fighters are going to test and ... the doctors and the emphasis on at the events ... and to um they're not paying taxes so ... Investor Forecasts Square said tens of millions of dollars in potential business and some of the most ... depressed areas of New York ... he just got to shake your head ... of Lauren's offer Tina chairman CEO appeal to fighting championship thanks for being on the show thank you ... more to come on Opinion Journal ... stay tuned ... welcome back to Opinion Journal why Mary Kissel ... the UN human rights Council is home to some of the world's most repressive regimes and serves as ... their mouthpiece ... and others yet another embarrassment ... assistant books editor so of our Mari is here to explain so on ... who is Richard Faulk ... enlisted in the United Nations ... mission fall is a retired Princeton professor and bonded of sorts ... and that he's been ... active for years saying ... also some crazy things he's been you know your typical ... anti-American demagogue ... above the academics or ... and the ... heat he works at the men Nations human rights Council as a rapper tour ... on the Palestinian territories with them and that ... solely to investigate Israel's ... alleged human rights violations look at what looks to look at what he said about the Boston bombings of last week put that up ... on the screen and I quote ... is not to study it has the compliant year if the American political establishment ... those who wish for peace and justice in the world should not ... rest easy says so what ... is straight and so he's linking ... Israel ... to the terror attacks in Boston that's right ... and not just Israel but the in the same piece ... in due course of the top of the peace he said ... you know it's American global domination Quantum quote ... that is ultimately ... the irresponsible for for what we saw the for the tragedy in Boston and that ... that serve the ... chicken coming chickens coming home to roost that moment so that anti Americanism we have a antisemitism and one in pontoon have to say about his remarks ahead of the one he said I'm not responsible for what it says ... he's an independent ... expert and ... I miss the most in a chair is spicy imagine from the head of the of the of the global organization ... of of states to say ... you know the human rights Council hires them ... I criticize them before but in this instance I'm not even the not condemn them because you know at the ISM and is outside my control yet it's been a worse because pumpkin is exactly a new kid on the block as foreign minister of South Korea's many government ... Freeman to school career ... how are you invested UN Ambassador ... Susan Rice but how will he respond ambassador Rice or credit condemned the ... content of the remarks although ... you have to wonder what effect of Aberdeen in two thousand eleven ... you know the ... day after he came out and said a number of things about ... nine eleven to see some of them and love and truth are ... on the duties of the Bush administration was responsible for the nine eleven attacks ... he was condemned at the time of the US very strongly and yet he still remain in its ups Why isn't the U S calling for the skies resignation he she she Hatzius and the US has repeatedly called for it ... I see it just goes to show that we were told how ... you know under the Bush administration the attitude towards the human rights ... Council was ... you know tube abolition of being teased and we ... took a seat at the table to begin actually avert some of these disasters ... well we gave them ... we have a seat at the table we give the US is legitimacy in Christie's the council money ... and money and and we still get the same outcome so that the same crazy anti American anti Israel ideology ... so the UN that refusing to condemn anti Semitism ... sober Marty thank so much for reporting on this story this time ... E-mail us at Opinion Journal Live it WS J dot com that's all one word ... by Mary Kissel with The Wall Street Journal Editorial board back tomorrow one pm ... thanks for watching ...